A Democratic Socialist Blog

Sanders/Rozzo Connection

Bernie Sanders and I have a few things in Common. We are life long Socialists. Bernie was a member of the Liberty Union Party and I, Socialist Party USA. We quit for similar reasons, both Parties are ineffective and out of touch. LUP and SPUSA members have gotten together at SP Conventions. I know people who know Bernie, and Bernie knows people who know me.

While at the University of Chicago, Sanders joined the Young People’s Socialist League (1907)Young People’s Socialist League the youth affiliate of the Socialist Party of America (SPA was Socialist Party-Democratic Socialist Federation Since the 40’s), and was active in the African-American Civil Rights Movement (1954–68)” as a student organizer for the “Congress of Racial Equality” and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.Under Sanders’s chairmanship, the university chapter of CORE merged with the university chapter of SNCC. In January 1962, Sanders led a rally at the University of Chicago administration building to protest university president George Wells Beadles “We feel it is an intolerable situation when Negro and white students of the university cannot live together in university-owned apartments,” Sanders said at the protest. Sanders and 32 other students then entered the building and camped outside the president’s office, performing the first civil rights sit-in in Chicago history. After weeks of sit-ins, Beadle and the university formed a commission to investigate discrimination. He once spent a day putting up fliers protesting against only to eventually notice that a car was shadowing him and taking them all down.

Sanders attended the 1963 “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” where Martin Luther King, Jr. He gave his I had a Dream Speech That summer, he was convicted of resisting arrest during a demonstration against in Chicago’s public schools and was fined $25.

In addition to his civil rights activism during the 1960s and 1970s, Sanders was active in several . He was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the while attending the University of Chicago. Sanders applied for conscientious objector status during the his application was eventually turned down, by which point he was too old to be”Conscription in the United States to be drafted. Although he opposed the war, Sanders never placed any blame on those who fought and has been a strong supporter of Veterans’ benefits veterans’ benefits.

While at the University of Chicago, Sanders joined the Young People’s Socialist League, the youth affiliate of the Socialist Party of America, and was active in the Civil Rights Movement as a student organizer for the Congress of Racial Equality and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Under Sanders’s chairmanship, the university chapter of CORE merged with the university chapter of SNCC. In January 1962, Sanders led a rally at the University of Chicago administration building to protest university president George Wells Beadle’s segregated campus housing policy. “We feel it is an intolerable situation when Negro and white students of the university cannot live together in university-owned apartments,” Sanders said at the protest. Sanders and 32 other students then entered the building and camped outside the president’s office, performing the first civil rights sit-in in Chicago history. After weeks of sit-ins, Beadle and the university formed a commission to investigate discrimination.[33] He once spent a day putting up fliers protesting against police brutality, only to eventually notice that a Chicago police car was shadowing him and taking them all down.

Sanders attended the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. That summer, he was convicted of resisting arrest during a demonstration against segregation in Chicago’s public schools and was fined $25.

In addition to his civil rights activism during the 1960s and 1970s, Sanders was active in several peace and antiwar movements. He was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Student Peace Union while attending the University of Chicago. Sanders applied for conscientious objector status during the Vietnam War; his application was eventually turned down, by which point he was too old to be drafted. Although he opposed the war, Sanders never placed any blame on those who fought and has been a strong supporter of veterans’ benefits.

I was Born in Paterson NJ, attended School 18, Passaic County Tech, Passaic Community College, American Broadcasting School. Free lance writer, politician (left), Traveled around the world. (Italy, UK, Denmark, France +)

My experiences happened when I was in Grade school, acknowledging I was from a working class family in the industrial town of Paterson, I protested the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, The Kugarrand, Carried Teamsters Strike signs.
In my Early days, I met Bayard Rustin, David McReynolds*, Ceasar Chavez (Farm Labor Union), Micheal Harrington, and others. I was a Democratic Socialists Of America Member, than Socialist Party USA member after my dispute with Harrington. I voted for McReynolds/Drufenbroch.

Some of my accomplishments:
1. Held office Weymouth Township Environmental Officer SP
2. Lead SP-USA and other groups into the Million Worker March.
3. Ran for Office many times, ran a few Campaigns for SP and ALP members.
4. Volunteer Organizer for UNITE! Trying to Unionize Sweatshops
5. News Pundit for Press TV.
6. Have been on TV, Radio, Wal Mart Documentary with Russel Brand.
7. ALP Coordinator for Occupy Wall ST (NYC, Phil, WDC)
8. Re-founded American Labor Party
9. Vice President of Vineland Renters Association-Affordable housing Rent Control.
10. Defended Shop Rite workers at City Hall over Wal Mart concerns.
* Only SP Candidate to beat the Greens and Libertarians 2 years straight.

I placed McReynolds/Mary Cal Hollis, Walter Brown, Brian Moore,as Presidential Candidates in NJ.
Greg Pason for Governor twice, ran as his Lt governor. We took the SP out of last place. Finishing fourth gaining many new members.

I was also Regional Chair, NJ State Chairman, and on National Committee for The SP-USA.

* I still consider Dave a friend today. We only met a few times in the 70’s
and more contact in the SP. We had a mutual friend Robert Tucker of Philadelphia Pa.